Jan 25, 2022, 20:52 pm
Traces of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in otters, in a sign the substances are causing widespread pollution of Britain’s rivers and putting other wildlife at risk.
Scientists at Cardiff University analysed samples from dead otters from across England and Wales to assess levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in British rivers.
PFAS are a family of around 5,000 different chemicals. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they hardly degrade in the natural environment, leading to ever-increasing pollution levels.
The scientists found PFAS in every one of the 50 otters sampled as part of the study.
Scientists fear that PFAS chemicals, although little studied, could be harmful to all wildlife. Otters are an apex predator in the UK, sitting at the top of the food chain. If PFAS are present in otters, that means wildlife elsewhere in the food web, including animals such as water voles, fish and frogs, will also have been exposed.
“Otters are non-migratory – they do not move around,” Emily O’Rourke, the study’s lead author, told i. “So if you have got a high concentration [of PFAS] in an otter from a particular location, it is representative of an area that it has lived.”
The highest PFAS levels were found in otters living in rivers near arable farmland and wastewater treatment plants, notably in the east of England, the study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, found.
Residue from PFAS coatings, such as waterproof clothing or non-stick frying pans, is washing into waterways and drains, entering the water treatment system, Ms O’Rourke said.
“This suggests that the sewage sludge, which is left over from sewage works and is spread on our farmland as fertiliser, has PFAS in it and that is leaching into our waterways,” she added.
“This is obviously concerning for the otter and for wildlife, but it is also concerning for us because those rivers feed our reservoirs, we drink that water…so we are getting a dose of PFAS through our food chain.”
Many PFAS are thought to be toxic. Two of the most studied chemicals in the family – PFOA and PFOS – have been found to cause hormonal disorders, cancer and to disrupt foetal development, and are banned under the Stockholm Convention. Little research has been conducted on the health effects of their replacements.
The otters studied by the Cardiff researchers died between 2007 and 2009, when PFOA and PFOS were being phased out because of their risk to human health.
Both banned chemicals were found in the livers of otters studied. Some of the otters analysed had enlarged adrenal glands and missing sex organs, a potential sign of disease. However, none had died from PFAS exposure or related illness.
Ms O’Rourke said pollution levels in the UK were still relatively low. But she warned there could still be “sub-lethal” health impacts to humans and wildlife, particularly because of the unknown risks of being exposed to a “cocktail” of different PFAS at the same time.
And because PFAS pollution builds up over time, scientists warn that pollution levels could accumulate to dangerous levels in the future.
The UK government is investigating the risk posed to public health and the environment by PFAS chemicals, which could result in a blanket ban on their use.
https://inews.co.uk/news/toxic-pollution...rs-1422065
Scientists at Cardiff University analysed samples from dead otters from across England and Wales to assess levels of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals in British rivers.
PFAS are a family of around 5,000 different chemicals. They are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they hardly degrade in the natural environment, leading to ever-increasing pollution levels.
The scientists found PFAS in every one of the 50 otters sampled as part of the study.
Scientists fear that PFAS chemicals, although little studied, could be harmful to all wildlife. Otters are an apex predator in the UK, sitting at the top of the food chain. If PFAS are present in otters, that means wildlife elsewhere in the food web, including animals such as water voles, fish and frogs, will also have been exposed.
“Otters are non-migratory – they do not move around,” Emily O’Rourke, the study’s lead author, told i. “So if you have got a high concentration [of PFAS] in an otter from a particular location, it is representative of an area that it has lived.”
The highest PFAS levels were found in otters living in rivers near arable farmland and wastewater treatment plants, notably in the east of England, the study, published in Environmental Science & Technology, found.
Residue from PFAS coatings, such as waterproof clothing or non-stick frying pans, is washing into waterways and drains, entering the water treatment system, Ms O’Rourke said.
“This suggests that the sewage sludge, which is left over from sewage works and is spread on our farmland as fertiliser, has PFAS in it and that is leaching into our waterways,” she added.
“This is obviously concerning for the otter and for wildlife, but it is also concerning for us because those rivers feed our reservoirs, we drink that water…so we are getting a dose of PFAS through our food chain.”
Many PFAS are thought to be toxic. Two of the most studied chemicals in the family – PFOA and PFOS – have been found to cause hormonal disorders, cancer and to disrupt foetal development, and are banned under the Stockholm Convention. Little research has been conducted on the health effects of their replacements.
The otters studied by the Cardiff researchers died between 2007 and 2009, when PFOA and PFOS were being phased out because of their risk to human health.
Both banned chemicals were found in the livers of otters studied. Some of the otters analysed had enlarged adrenal glands and missing sex organs, a potential sign of disease. However, none had died from PFAS exposure or related illness.
Ms O’Rourke said pollution levels in the UK were still relatively low. But she warned there could still be “sub-lethal” health impacts to humans and wildlife, particularly because of the unknown risks of being exposed to a “cocktail” of different PFAS at the same time.
And because PFAS pollution builds up over time, scientists warn that pollution levels could accumulate to dangerous levels in the future.
The UK government is investigating the risk posed to public health and the environment by PFAS chemicals, which could result in a blanket ban on their use.
https://inews.co.uk/news/toxic-pollution...rs-1422065